Dylan Sprouse explains why he is working in a restaurant

NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Former child actor Dylan Sprouse says he is working as a host in a New York restaurant because he wanted a new experience, not because he is broke.

Sprouse, 21, and his twin brother Cole starred on the Disney Channel show "Suite Life of Zach & Cody" from 2005 to 2011. He said in an interview last fall he is studying video game design with a double major in poetry and studio art at New York University.

UsMagazine.com said Sprouse is working at a New York eatery as well, something that sparked rumors claiming he had fallen on hard times.

"So many pictures have gotten out that I'm now working as a host at a restaurant in NY. To clear up the air (which is admittedly pretty rude), I did not take this job because I 'lost all my money,' I am financially secure, and took this job as a way to primarily feed my over bountiful video game addiction," Sprouse wrote on his Tumblr website this week.

"I also took this as a way to try a new experience, working somewhat below the means I'm used to, as well as a way to socialize and get out of the house," he wrote. "I feel most comfortable when I'm working and doing something, to criticize someone of that is pretty odd. I will potentially return to acting someday, but in no way do I think any experience is a step down for me, but rather a new step in another direction."